Cotton-press.



J. R. BODDIE.

COTTON PRESS. APPLIOATION PILBDMAY 21, 1913.

1,093,526. Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES MEW/ J A M ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. R. BODDIE. 4 COTTON PRESS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1913.

Patented A r. 14, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

J. R. 130131115. COTTON PRESS. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21, 1913.

1,093,526, Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3. P15.

Q WIT 588E IVVE/VTOR Bodd/ M 2 I ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, 1). cv

J. 3., BODDIE.

COTTON PRESS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2]., 1913.

Patented Aprhl l, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR I arflea RBOCZd/ 7 ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CO.,WASHINOTON, D.'c.

J. R. BODDIB.

GOTTON'PRESS. APPLI OATION FILLED MAY 21, 1913. 1 Q93 526 Patented Apr. 14, 191i 5 $HEETS-SHEBT 5.

ATTORNEYS OLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Cm, WASHINGTON, D. c.

JAMES ROBERT BODDIE, OF MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA.

COTTON-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

Application filed May 21, 1913. Serial No. 768,990.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, James ROBERT Boo- DIE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Muskogee, in the county of Muskogee and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and Improved Cotton-Press, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to cotton presses of the revolving double box type, and it has for its general objects to improve and simplify the construction by dispensing with the usual circular press box carrying platform in the press room floor, whereby less constructive material is required and the weight of the machine greatly reduced, while at the same time producing a structure of extreme strength and durability; and also dispensing with the box above the revolving platform and under the condenser and tramper, as the condenser discharges directly through an opening in the press roomfloor to supply the ginned cotton to the revolving press box thereunder, the dispensing of the receiving box above the platform enabling the condenser and tramper or steam packer to be lowered closer to the floor and placed on a line with the gin stands, so that the operator can attend to the machinery with greater ease and despatch and without having to leave the press room floor.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel arrangement of cloglocking and releasing means for the revolv ing press boxes whereby the cotton after being compressed by the tramper is held during the revolving of the box from its receiving position under the tramper to its transfer position over the ram and under the compressing and baling box. At this point the dogs are automatically released so as to allow the ram to raise the par tially compressed cotton in the compressing and baling box.

An additional object of the invention is the employment of a supporting device for that box which is in cotton receiving posi tion, so as to withstand the downward pressure of the tramper, such supporting device being thrown out of operative relation with the box when the same is to be moved from receivin position to transfer position over the ram.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel lochng arrangement for holding the revolving boxes stationary the longitudinal beams,

while they are respectively in alinement with the tramper and ram.

With these objectsin view, and others as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention,

, and wherein similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of .the improved cotton press; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section thereof showing a charge of cotton in one box compressed by the tramper and a charge of cotton in the compressing and baling box compressed by the ram; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with a portion of the press room floor broken away to show the revolving press boxes in mid position during half a revolution; Fig. 4: is a sectional view on the line i s of Fi :2, showing the position of the boxes when in alinement respectively with the tramper and ram; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 2 through the baling box but showing a full supply of cotton therein for a bale; Fig. 6 is a detail view of the device for operating the press box support or thrust resisting device; Fig. 7 is an enlarged side view of the dog locking and releasing means on each press box; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the said locking and releasing means; and Fig. 9 is a view showing the dogs unlocked and released.

Referring to the drawing, A and A designate the revolving press boxes, B a steam packer or tramper, C the 'baling box and D the ram.

The press boxes A and A are located under the floor f of the press room and in the floor are openings 1 and 2, each of the same area as the crosssectional area of a press box. floor frame consisting of the longitudinal beams 3 and the cross beams a secured to there being bolts or rods 5 extending from one longitudinal beam to the other for stiffening the structure. On one-half of the floor frame is mounted a steam packer B and on the other half is the baling box C.

p The press boxes A and A are supported At the openings 1 and 2 is a by a vertical column 6 and revolve therewith, such column passing upwardly through the fioor at a point centrally between the openings 1 and 2. The lower end of the column is mounted in a step bearing 7 carried by a base frame consisting of sill members 8 and beams 9 crossing the sill members. The step bearing embodies a cap 10 having bearing balls 11 which are disposed under a foot piece 12 on the shaft or column 6, the cap or cup member 10 of the bearing being secured to the base frame by bolts 13 that pass through the flange of the member 10 through the ring 14, plates 15 and 16, block 17 and plate 18 arrangedas clearly shown in Fig. 2. The upper end of the column is steadied by a top bearing 19' which consists of a cap 20 containing bearing balls 21 disposed over a disk head or equivalent member 22 in the upper end of the shaft. The cap 20 is secured by bolts 23 to horizontal beams 24 that extend over the baling box O, and extending between the beams 24 there is a plate 25 through which the bolts 23 extend. The outer ends of the beams 24 are connected to the outer ends of the base beams 13 by tie rods 26, whereby the strain incident to the compressing of the cotton in the baling box is effectively withstood by the base frame. On the lower portion of the shaft or column 6 is fastened a collar 27 to which are secured horizontal connecting elements 28 that are secured to-the press boxes A and A, and by means of these members 27 the said boxes are supported on and secured rigidly to the column 6. The upper ends of the boxes are tied together by horizontal members 29, so that they are maintained in parallel relation and at a fixed distance apart, so as to always register with the openings 1 and 2 when the boxes are in pressing position. The press boxes, which are shown of such size as to receive sufIicient cotton to form a half bale, are provided at their lower ends with internal ledges 30 for supporting the follow block 31 against which the cotton is compressed by the tramper and with which the head of the ram is adapted to engage for transferring the cotton to the baling box.

The tramper or steam packer B comprises a cylinder 32 which is mounted on horizontal beams 33 supported on uprights or standards 34 that rise from the floor frame and in the cylinder is a piston 35 from which extends a piston rod 36 that has on its lower end a platen or head 37 which is of such size as to just pass through the opening 2 in the floor f to enter the press box A or A for compressing the cotton discharged from the condenser into such press box. The piston 35 is moved downwardly bysteam or other pressure supplied to the upper end of the cylinder through an opening 38 adapted to be piped to a suitable source of fluid pressure, but the up or return stroke of the piston is effected by weights 39 which are carried 'by cables 40 that are connected with the head or platen 37 of the tramper, said cables passing over guide pulleys 41 mounted in the cross head 42 of the upper end of the cylinder 32. The platen or head 37 of the tramper comes to rest at the end of its up stroke a suitable distance above the opening 2 in the floor, so that the condenser can discharge the cotton into the opening 2 without the tramper interfering. On the tramper is the cut-off plate 43 which interrupts the feed of the cotton from the condenser during the time the tramper is pressing the cotton in the press box.

In order to withstand the strain exerted by the tramper on the press box a supporting or thrust resisting device E is employed, the same consisting of a lever 44 fulcrumed at 45 on the base frame of the machine and disposed under the opening 2 at such a dis tance as to lie under the press box when in receiving position. The outer end of the lever is provided with an eye-bolt 46 into which hooks a lift rod 47 which passes upwardly through an opening 48 in the floor f and has its upper end connected with a lever 49, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, such lever being fulcrumed on one of the standards 34 and extending therefrom to the opposite standard 34 where the lever is adapted to engage a stop 50 on such latter standard when the thrust resisting device E is in set position, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein the shoe or abutment 51 engages the lug or equivalent part 52 on the press box. lVhen the press boxes are to be rotated on the shaft 6 as a center the lever 49, Fig. 6, is disengaged from the pin or stop 50 and moved from the full to the dotted line position, whereby the lever 44 is moved out of engagement with the bottom of the press box. This lever 44 is required only at one side of the machine, that is to say, the tramper side which produces pressure on the press box structure.

The baling or final press box C isof usual construction and is mounted over the open ing 1 in the floor, and the opposite sides of the box C are formed into doors 53 pivoted at- 54, Figs. 1 and 5, so .as to swing out wardly in opposite directions for allowing the bands to be applied to the compressed cot-ton in the baling box. On each door is a shaft 55 carrying a plurality of dogs 56 p which pass through slots 57 as engage the first charge of cotton that is compressed into the bale box by the ram D.

The ram D consists of a cylinder 58 mounted at the base frame of the machine and has therein a piston (not shown) from which extends a rod 59 that carries a plunger 60 on its upper end to move the full a downward length of the press box A or A and into the bale box C. A screw or any other compressing device may be used instead of a hydraulic ram D shown in the drawings.

The rotary press box structure is adapted to be rotated when the tramper is fully raised and the ram is fully lowered and for turning the press box structure an operating lever or handle 61 is carried by a loose ring 62 on the upper portion of the shaft or column 6, such handle 61 having a tooth 63 adapted to engage. with the pinion or toothed element 64 on the shaft 6. By throwing this pawl or lever 61 into engagement with the toothed wheel 64 the shaft 6 can be readily turned to throw the box A from receiving position under the opening 2 to transfer position under the opening 1, and at the same time throw the box A from the opening 1 to the opening 2. It is necessary to place the press boxes in perfect alinement with the openings 1 and 2 before the stamper and ram are actuated, and for this purpose a centralizing or locking device is employed, the same consisting of dogs 65, 65 in the form of bell-crank levers, ful crumed at 66 on the floor at op oosite sides of the opening 1, so as to engage t e opposite walls of the press box A or A. The lever 65 is connected by a link 67 with an operating lever 68, and the lever 65 is connected by a link 69 with the operating lever 68, the links 67 and 69 being disposed at opposite sides of the fulcrum 70 of the operating lever, so that when the latter is moved in one direction both locking dogs 65 and 65' are moved to releasing position, while movement of the operating lever in the opposite direction will throw the dogs to locking position. This operating lever 68 is mounted adjacent the column or shaft 6 where it is near the device 61 for turning the said shaft so as to enable the operator to throw in the locking dogs 65 and 65 without moving from the point where he turns the shaft 6 to revolve the press boxes. The dogs 65 and 65 are disposed in slots 71 in the floor f, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and in releasing they move upwardly and outwardly in opposite directions so as to be out of the path of the press boxes as they revolve under the floor f.

Each press box is provided, as shown, with dogs for holding down the cotton that is compressed therein by the tramper, but these dogs are adapted to be automatically locked to hold down the cotton and to be automatically released when a press box containing compressed cotton reaches its transfer position under the opening 1 over the ram D; Each group of dogs at each side of a press box is mounted on a rock shaft 73 formed with crank arms 7A for the respective dogs, and on one end of a rock shaft of each press box is an arm 75 carrylng a weight 7 6 whereby the dogs are automatically thrown to operative position for holding down the cotton. The rock shaft 73 that carries the weight 7 6 is provided at its end opposite from the arm 75 with a crank arm 77, while the rock shaft of the same press box is provided with an arm 7 8, the arm 77 extendlng downwardly and the arm 78 extending upwardly, and these two crank arms are connected together by a link 79, so that when one rock shaft 73 moves to throw the dogs outwardly to releasing position the other rock shaft will move to throw its dogs to releasing position. A locking lever 80 is fulcrumed on each press box in such posit1on that the arm 81 of the locking lever will engage the crank arms 77 of each rock shaft when the dogs are in holding position, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. The arm 82 of the locking lever 80 extends upwardly above the fulcrum 83 and has an ofiset 84 so as to lie in the plane of a fixed trip 85, Figs. 2 and 9, whereby the trip will strike the offset 84 of the lever 80 and tilt the lever out of engagement with the arm 77, thereby unlocking the dog 72. The crank arm 78 has an extension 86 that is also located in the plane of the fixed trip 85, so that as the press box structure continues to revolve the extension 86 will be finally engaged, as shown in Fig. 9, so as to impart motion to the rock shafts 7 3 for throwing the dogs 72 to inoperative position. The trip 85 is lo cated under the floor f at the ram side of the machine, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and consequently, as the press box structure revolves the dogs will be automatically unlocked and thrown outwardly to inoperative position by the time the box structure comes to rest over the ram. The ram can then be actuated to transfer the compressed cotton out of the press box into the baling box C. After the ram has been lowered to normal position the press box structure is again revolved, and during the first part of the movement the arm 82 of the locking lever 80 and the extension 86 of the crank 78 will move out of engagement with the trip 85, so that the dogs 82 will immediately return to operative position under the influence of the weight 76, that is to say, the parts will shift from the position shown in Fig. 9 to that shown in Fig. 7.

The operation of the machine as a whole is briefly as follows: WVith the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, cotton is supplied to the press box A from the condenser, and when the required amount has been delivered the tramper comes into play and compresses the cotton in the box A. After this is done the fluid pressure is removed from the cylinder 32, so that the weights 39 will raise the plunger of the stamper to its normal position, the dogs 82 serving to hold the cotton compressed in the box A.

The lever mounted, and a thrust-resisting device dis- 49 of the thrust resisting device E is now posed below the path of the lower end of the released and lowered and the locking dogs 65 and 65 are released by operating the box and movable into and out of engagelever 68, and then the press box structure ment with the box to oppose the' thrust is turned through one hundred and eighty from the stamper and including operating means arranged above the box.

t. In a press of the class described, the combination of a stamper, a press box, a shaft on which the press box is revolubly degrees by the turning device 61. then the press box A is in line with the opening 1 of the floor the locking dogs 65 and 65 are operated to engage the box A. Before the box A reaches the position in alinement mounted, a thrust-resisting devicemovable with the opening 1 in the floor f the trip into and out of engagement with the box comes into play to unlock and release the to oppose the thrust from the stamper, said 7 cotton-holding dogs 72, and ram is now device comprismgalever disposed under the thrown into operation so as to raise the cotton out of the box A and compress it in the bale box C. During the time of this transfer of the cotton into the bale box the press box A is receiving cotton from the condenser, and when the box A is filled the tramper presses the cotton, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The tramper is now raised and the plunger of the ram lowered and the box structure unlocked so that the same can be turned to receive another charge of cotton in the box A and to transfer the compressed cotton fro-1n the box A to the bale box, whereby suiiicient cotton will be compressed in the bale box to complete a bale.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the method of operation and of the apparatus shown will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the ap pended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A platformless press comprismg a fixed bale box, a stamper to one side thereof, revolving press boxes mounted respectively in alinement with and under the stamper and baling box and adapted to s1- multaneously register therewith, and simul taneously operated locking devices for en gaging the opposite sides of one of the press boxes to hold the same in alinement with the stamper and baling box.

2. In a press of the class described, the combination of a stamper, a press box movable to and from a position under the stamper, a support at one side of the press box, and a manually-controlled support movable into and out of engagement with the opposite side of the press box to resist the thrust of the stamper.

3. In a press of the class described, the combination of a stamper, a press box, a shaft on which the press box is revolubly into and out of engagement with the press box to support the same during the operation of stamper.

5. In a press of the combination of 'a and out of material-receiving position, a stamper disposed to press the material in the box, a support for the press box disposed at one side thereof, a device disposed under class described, the

stamper, and means operatively connected with the said device for moving the same into and out of engagement with the'press box. i

6. In a press of the class described, the combination of baling and press boxes rela-' tively movable into and out of registry with each other, a. pressing device movable through the press box, locking dogs mounted to engage opposite sides of the press box to hold the same in registry with the baling box, and manually-operated means connected with both dogs for, moving the same from a position out of the path of the press box into engagement with the latter and back again to normal position.

7. In apress of the class described, the combination of baling and press boxes relatively movable into and out of registry with each other, dogs mounted to engage the said press box, an operating device mounted on the baling box and connected with the dogs for simultaneously actuating the same to lock or release the press box, and a pressing device movable through the press box to press material in the baling box.

8. In a press of the class described, the combination of a movable press box, material-engaging dogs therein, a devicefo-r locking the dogs in operative position, and a fixed trip arranged to release the device and throw the dogs to inoperative position during the movement of the dogs.

9. In a press of the class described, the combination of a movable press box, material-holding dogs mounted thereon, a look ing lever for maintaining the dogs in holding position, a member operatively connected with the dogs, and a fixed trip with which the lever and member engage during the movement of the box to release the lepress box movable into the press box for receiving the thrust of the press box, and means for moving the lever ver and throw the dogs to inoperative position.

10. In a press of the class described, the combination of a movable press box, groups of dogs on opposite sides thereof, a rock shaft for each group of dogs, a connection between the rock shafts for causing simultaneous movement, a locking device for preventing movement of the members when the dogs are in operative position, amember connected with one of the shafts, and a fixed trip with which the said device and member engage for releasing the device and actuating the member to throw the dogs to inoperative position.

11. In a press of the class described, the combination of a press box, dogs mounted on opposite sides thereof, shafts on which the dogs are mounted to move into and out of operative position, crankson the shafts,

a link connecting the cranks, a lever mount ed on the press box to engage one of the cranks for holding the shafts against movement while the dogs are in operative position, and means for first releasing the lever and then operating the shafts to throw the dogs to inoperative position.

12. In a press of the class described, the combination of a press box, material-holding dogs mounted on opposite sides thereof,

a rock shaft at each side of the box and having cranks on which the dogs are mounted, a connection between the shafts, a weight operating on the shafts to hold the dogs in operative position and returning the dogs to such operative position, a locking lever normally holding the rock shaftsagainst movement, and means for actuating the lever to release the shafts and also for moving the shafts to throw the dogs to inoperative position. 7

13. In a press of the class described, the combination of a movable press box, a bale box, means for locking the press box when in alinement with the baling' box, materialholding dogs in the press box, means for moving the dogs to holding position, means for releasing said dogs automatically as the press box moves into alinement with the baling box, and means for transferring material from the press box to the baling box and compressing such material in the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES ROBERT BODDIE.

Witnesses F. STORY, B. E. Cook.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ZPatents,

Washington, D. C. 

